Gallotia auaritae (La Palma Giant Lizard)

[Melanie]

Gallotia auaritae

Summary | Distribution | Other Documentation | References | Comprehensive

Taxonomy
Kingdom ANIMALIA
Phylum CHORDATA
Class REPTILIA
Order SQUAMATA
Family LACERTIDAE
Species Authority Mateo, García Márquez, López Jurado & Barahona, 2001
Synonym/s Gallotia simonyi ssp. auaritae Mateo, García Márquez, López Jurado and Barahona, 2001
Taxonomic Notes This taxon was originally described as a subspecies of Gallotia simonyi by Mateo et al. (2001), but we follow Afonso and Mateo (2003) in treating it as a full species.
Assessment Information
Red List Category & Criteria EX ver 3.1 (2001)
Year Assessed 2005
Assessor/s Miras, J.A.M.
Evaluator/s Stuart, S.N. & Cox, N. (Global Reptile Assessment)
Justification Listed as Extinct because it has not been recorded for around 500 years, and recent surveys have failed to locate any individuals.
Distribution
Country Names Spain [RE]
Summary Documentation
System Terrestrial
Major Habitat/s
(terms) 3.5 Shrubland - Subtropical/Tropical Dry
3.8 Mediterranean-type Shrubby Vegetation
6 Rocky Areas

Major Threat/s
(terms) 1.1.1.2 Habitat Loss/Degradation - Agriculture - Crops - Small-holder farming (past)
2.2 Invasive alien species (directly affecting the species) - Predators (past)
3.1.1 Harvesting (hunting/gathering) - Food - Subsistence use/local trade (past)

Conservation Action/s
(terms) 0 No conservation actions (in place, needed)

Detailed Documentation
Range This extinct species occurred from sea-level up to 800 m in the littoral zone of La Palma in the Canary Islands (Spain). Its decline started 2,000 years ago with the arrival of humans on La Palma. It appears to have become extinct in the last 500 years.

Population The species is believed to be extinct, though, like other giant lizards of the Canary Islands, there is a remote chance that it could be rediscovered in a remote or inaccessible location.
Habitat and Ecology It apparently occurred through the littoral zone of La Palma, and probably lived in xerophytic vegetation. It was presumably an egg-laying species.
Threats The main causes of extinction appear to have been introduced cats, consumption by people, and agriculture.
Conservation Measures Not applicable.

www.redlist.org/search/details.php?species=61501&tab=all

[another specialist]

commonly called the Palmero lizard or Palmero giant lizard

[another specialist]

also it is sometime listed as a subspecies Gallotia simonyi auaritae

[another specialist]

Abstract: Description ot the Giant Llizard of La Palma (Canary Islands) from subfossil remains.-We propose
a subspecific status for the subfossil giantic lacertid lizards of La Palma (Canary Islands), which have been
recently regarded as conspecific with Gallotia simonyi. Accordingly, a description of this new subspecies (Gallotia
simonyi auaritae) is provided. Skeletal differences with other giantic canarian lizards involve dentary and
maxillary teeth patterns, pterygoid teeth patern and articular bone morphology.
Key words: systematics; Gallotia simonyi; Lacertidae; La Palma; Canary Islands.

www.herpetologica.org/revista/rev15_resumen53-59.pdf

[another specialist]

The La Palma Giant Lizard (Gallotia auaritae) was a giant lacertid (wall lizard) that, as its name indicates, lived in the littoral zone of La Palma in the Canary Islands; its habitat ranged from sea level up to altitudes of 800 m. It probably lived in xerophytic vegetation and was presumably an egg-laying species.

Its decline started 2000 years ago with the arrival of humans on La Palma. It appears to have become extinct in the last 500 years. The main causes of extinction appear to have been introduced cats, consumption by people, and habitat destruction for agriculture. Although the species is believed to be extinct, there is a small chance that it could be rediscovered in a remote or inaccessible location. This happened with other giant lizards of the Canary Islands, like the El Hierro and La Gomera Giant Lizards (rediscovered 1974 and 1999, respectively); the somewhat smaller Tenerife Speckled Lizard was only discovered for the first time in 1996.

This giant lizard was originally described as a subspecies of the El Hierro Giant Lizard (Mateo et al 2001). Later, it was elevated to full species rank (Afonso & Mateo 2003). Specimens from La Palma assigned to G. goliath seem to belong to this taxon instead; if this is correct, they indicate that the average size of this species had been decreasing over the last millennia, possibly due to humans preferring to hunt larger lizards (Barahona et al. 2000).

Unfortunately, the present material of G. auaritae does not allow for sufficiently detailed analyses of its phylogenetic status. Probably it belongs to the simonyi clade like the other giant Gallotia species from the western islands, but whether it actually was as close to G. simonyi as presumed remains unverified. The reason for this is also that it was only discovered after the present species' description that G. goliath was not another local representative of G. simonyi, as was previously assumed, but a more distantly related species (Maca-Meyer 2003).

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/La_Palma_Giant_Lizard

[Melanie]

nanosanchez said:

Rediscovered the Giant Lizard of La Palma, thought to be extinct.

The article in spanish

www.elmundo.es/elmundo/2007/12/19/ciencia/1198058656.html

[Melanie]

melanie said:

This great message also in Englisch


The La Palma lizard - Photo EFE
The species was thought to be extinct on the island

The giant La Palma lizard Gallotia auaritae was thought to have been as dead as the dodo, but now José Antonio Mateo, from the species recovery centre on the Canary Island of La Gomera has found the species still at large on the island of La Palma.

As long as 25 years ago it was thought the only giant lizards to survive were on Gran Canaria, but since then small colonies of the reptile have been found on Tenerife, La Gomera, El Hierro and now La Palma.

The reptile found is thought to be between 301 and 312 mm long and is thought to be about four years old. The experts think the lizard is looking for a new base on the island and that a new search be carried out immediately for the future protection of the species.




www.typicallyspanish.com/news/publish/article_14241.shtml

[Melanie]

Lizards alive! Another little giant rediscovered

Naturalists in Tenerife were delighted to reveal the existence of yet another branch of the growing family of Canary giant lizards, this time on the island of La Palma.

In the same week that saw the much publicized discovery of a new species of giant rat in tropical rain forests in the Far East, came news of a humbler, but no less exciting kind for these islands.
It concerned the sighting – and capture, on film, at least – of a giant lizard in La Palma which, like its cousins in La Gomera, El Hierro and Tenerife, had been thought to be long extinct until relatively recent rediscovery.
The chance find of Gallotia auaritae to give it its Latin name, was in fact made on July 13, but was only made public last week. On that day Luis Enrique Mínguez, out hiking in the mountains of the island’s north-east happened upon an extraordinarily large lizard basking by the side of the track at some 12 metres distance.
He had the presence of mind to take several photos of the reptile which, he said, showed no concern and eventually ambled off into the undergrowth.
Observations based on a careful study of the photographs, a visit to the location and comparisons with giant lizards elsewhere in the archipelago have led biologists to estimate the lizard to be a male of about four or five years, measuring between 300 and 312 millimetres in length, head to tail, and weighing around 170 grammes.
A lengthy search of the area in October by giant lizard experts proved unsuccessful, but neither the time of year nor the weather were on their side. It is now planned to organize an intensive programme to track down examples of the lizard which could eventually result in the establishment of a recovery centre like those in La Gomera and El Hierro

[Melanie]

The La Palma Giant Lizard (Gallotia auaritae) was presumed to be Extinct for the last 500 years until it was rediscovered in 2007 on the Canary Island of La Palma. Up to 25 years ago it was thought that the only giant lizards surviving in the Canaries were on Gran Canaria, but since then small colonies have been found on Tenerife, La Gomera, El Hierro and now La Palma. The La Palma Giant Lizard was discovered on a very steep rock face in an almost inaccessible part of the island. It had been displaced from its former range by the introduction of rats and cats, which preyed on the lizard. These predators cannot reach the steepest rock faces where the lizard has now made its home.

www.iucn.org/about/work/programmes/species/red_list/2008_threatened_species_photo_gallery___case_studies/index.cfm

[Melanie]

[Melanie]

Scientific Name: Gallotia auaritae
Species Authority
Intra-specific Authority: Mateo, García Márquez, López Jurado & Barahona, 2001
Common Name/s: English – La Palma Giant Lizard

Synonym/s: Gallotia simonyi ssp. auaritae

Assessment Information [top]
Red List Category & Criteria: Critically Endangered D ver 3.1
Year Assessed: 2008
Assessor/s Mateo Miras, J.A.
Evaluator/s: Stuart, S.N. & Cox, N. (IUCN SSC Global Reptile Assessment Team)
Justification:

Listed as Critically Endangered because any remnant population possibly totals fewer than 50 mature individuals. It is also possible that this species will qualify for the C2a(i) criteria, however additional studies are needed into the total population number and current population trend.

History: 2006 - Extinct (MOST RECENT-NEEDS UPDATING)


Geographic Range [top]
Range Description:
This species once ranged from sea-level up to 800 m asl in the littoral zone of La Palma in the Canary Islands (Spain). Its decline started 2,000 years ago with the arrival of humans on La Palma. Although it was believed to have become extinct in the last 500 years, there are recent sightings and photographs of giant Gallotia lizards from northern La Palma (Mínguez et al. 2007, Jose Antonio Mateo Miras pers. comm. 2008). While the identity of these lizards needs to be verified through the capture of an individual, it is probable that there has only ever been a single species of large Gallotia on La Palma (Barahona et al. 2000, Mateo et al. 2003, Jose Antonio Mateo Miras pers. comm. 2008). Recent observations have been between 40 and 200 m asl.

Countries: Native:
Spain (Canary Is.)

Population [top]
Population:
Recent obervations suggest that a small remnant population of these lizards is present in northern La Palma (Mínguez et al. 2007; Jose Antonio Mateo Miras pers. comm. 2008).


Habitat and Ecology [top]
Habitat and Ecology: It apparently previously occurred through the littoral zone of La Palma, living in xerophytic vegetation. It is presumably an egg-laying species.
Systems: Terrestrial
List of Habitats: 3 Shrubland
3.5 Shrubland - Subtropical/Tropical Dry
3.8 Shrubland - Mediterranean-type Shrubby Vegetation
6 Rocky areas (eg. inland cliffs, mountain peaks)


Threats [top]
Major Threat(s): The causes of extinction over much of this species range appear to have been introduced cats, consumption by people, and conversion of land to agricultural use. The current threats to any remaining populations need further investigation.

List of Threats: 2 Agriculture & aquaculture
2.1 Annual & perennial non-timber crops
2.1.2 Small-holder farming
5 Biological resource use
5.1 Hunting & trapping terrestrial animals
5.1.1 Intentional mortality (human use)
8 Invasive & other problematic species & genes
8.2 Problematic native species


Conservation Actions [top]
Conservation Actions:
It is not known if the species is present in any protected areas. There is a need to verify the identity of animals recently observed; if these are not individuals of Gallotia auaritae, it remains probable that these populations will still be of very high conservation concern. There is an urgent need to secure any remaining populations of giant Gallotia lizards on La Palma, including strict protection of areas of suitable habitat and prevention of collection of animals for non-research purposes.




List of Conservation Actions: 5 Law & policy
5.1 Legislation
5.1.2 National level


Bibliography [top]
Citations: Afonso, O.M. and Mateo, J.A. 2003. Los lagartos gigantes canarios: conservación creativa de poblaciones mínimas. In: I. Jiménez & M. Delibes (eds) Al Borde de la Extinción: Integrando Ciencia, Política y Sociedad en la Recuperación de Especies Amenazadas. Evren, Valencia

Barahona, F., Evans, S.E., Mateo, J.A., Garcia-Márquez, M. and López-Jurado, L.F. 2000. Endemism, gigantism and extinction in island lizards: the genus Gallotia on the Canary Islands. Journal of Zooloy, London 250: 373–388

Mateo, J.A., García Márquez, M., López Jurado, L.F. and Barahona, F. 2001. Descripción del lagarto gigante de La Palma (Islas Canarias) a partir de restos subfósiles. Revista Española de Herpetología 15: 53–59.

Mínguez, L.E., Afonso, O.M., Pether, J. and Mateo, J.A. 2007. Evidencias de la posible supervivencia del lagarto gigante de La Palma. Boletín de la Asociación Herpetológica Española: 11-13.

www.redlist.org/details/61501

[surroundx]

Martín, Aurelio. (2009). The Loch Ness monster and La Palma giant lizard Gallotia auaritae: are they really extant? Oryx 43(1): 17.

[Melanie]

Apr 10, 2018 12:46:14 GMT surroundx said:

Martín, Aurelio. (2009). The Loch Ness monster and La Palma giant lizard Gallotia auaritae: are they really extant? Oryx 43(1): 17.

Interesting article. Should this thread better moved to previously recognized extinct species?

[adzebill]

Apr 10, 2018 13:57:52 GMT Melanie said:

Apr 10, 2018 12:46:14 GMT surroundx said:

Martín, Aurelio. (2009). The Loch Ness monster and La Palma giant lizard Gallotia auaritae: are they really extant? Oryx 43(1): 17.

Interesting article. Should this thread better moved to previously recognized extinct species?

Not at all. Gallotia auaritae is a valid species described from subfossil bones, (almost surely) extinct in the Holocene (its remains have been found in archaeological sites on La Palma). The 2009 article is about an alleged rediscovery of this species and concludes there is no solid evidence that G. auaritae is still extant, so the IUCN should move the taxón from "Critically endangered" again to "Extinct".
To the date, there are only unconfirmed reports of big brown lizards that may suggest there is a small population of this species (source: Pedro Galán Regalado. Los anfibios y reptiles extinguidos. Herpetofauna desaparecida desde el año 1500)

[surroundx]

Cruzado-Caballero, Penélope et al. (2019). First nearly complete skull of Gallotia auaritae (lower-middle Pleistocene, Squamata, Gallotiinae) and a morphological phylogenetic analysis of the genus Gallotia. Scientific Reports 9: 16629.

They consider the 2007 reported sighting as unconfirmed.